Church Keyboardists Training

[Cheez]

This is an invitation to people who are playing keyboard in churches who would like to learn more. Keyboard playing in church is very different from playing in gigs. Skills to be developed are very different.

I'll be doing the training - more of an introduction really. Caveat - I'm asked by my bro-in-law to do it for his church. So the emphasis will be to train his church's keyboardists with specific emphasis on their keyboard (Yamaha CP33). If you're interested, you're welcome to sit in, but you'll need to know the aim is to help my bro-in-law's church keyboardist first. Second caveat - me no expert. Only sharing my experience.

• Date and Time: 19 and 26 July (2 sessions), 4-5:30/6pm each session.
• Venue: Leng Kwang Baptist Church (Bukit Timah)
• Level: Beginners to intermediate (more geared to towards beginners - if you're advanced level, you may get bored...)
• Content (tentative):

Session 1: Introduction to keyboard playing

• Difference between playing in church and playing for gigs/classical etc
• “Our church got piano what! Why use the keyboard?”
• Going through the patches of the CP33 – how to use them
• Layering and Splitting
• Pedals and pedaling (“putting our feet to good use, or...not to use”)
• Other functions: how to use effects (reverb/chorus) to your advantage; why on earth is there a “demo” button?

Session 2: Playing as a band/ other instruments (keyboardist’s perspective) – “avoiding the super-star mentality”

• “Sonic space” of different instruments:
  • Keyboard + one rhythm guitar (“aiyah, the guitar so noisy how to play???”)
  • Keyboard + bass (“what to do with my left hand?”)
  • Keyboard + another keyboard/piano (“the danger of rojak”)
  • Playing solo
  • The most forgotten instrument – voice (playing without entering the sonic space of voice)
• Who sets the rhythm and timing?
• Listening to each other
• When to play less, when not to play at all
• “I don’t agree with the other musicians on how to play that song” and other complains
• Who is the leader?
• Practice - tips

Optional: Keyboard playing styles (only if there’s time and people are not brain dead):

• The key of playing – playing to bring out the words of the song
• Emulating other instruments with only the piano sound patch (keyboard becoming violins, cellos, harp, flute, tympani, trumpets etc)
• Intervals of 6ths and 3rds
• Playing in octaves
• Glissandos
• How to modulate (all the interesting things that happen between the old and new keys)
• Solo playing in 3 parts (“3-part inventions”…like Bach)
• Different songs – slow vs fast; same song in different styles
• Playing during prayer/alter call etc
• Using chords creatively
• Learning other instruments so I can play the keyboard better (huh? Serious or not???)

Interested, please pm me ASAP.

And yes, I'm back in Singapore for a short while...

 

[piano_ex]

kudos to our great master! Cheez!! =)

 

[pf]

2 hrs each session can cover so many things?

 

[Cheez]

Cannot. That's why it's geared only to beginners and intermediate levels. Many things are just scratching the surface. It's targeted mainly at my bro-in-law's church's keyboardists and at their level. Some things can be covered pretty quickly. Others will have to see how they do during the sessions. Still trying to think whether to run it as a demo thing or as a master class format.

As I've never met their keyboardists before, I'm also doing this blind - a challenge for me. I have a few recordings of their worship sessions to gauge by, but the recordings weren't very clear. I also have to depend on my bro-in-law's opinions of the keyboardists (he's pretty experienced and so I trust his judgments, but it's still not first hand). So I have to go by trial and error along the way.

Anyway, it may turn out good, or it may turn out bad. So don't put too high expectations. I believe they will be taping the entire 2 sessions.

 

[pf]

Cheez,

the keyboardists in your bro-in-law's church are all quite young. I think its quite important for young keyboardists to know about avenues to go about improving themselves. Maybe you could share about your experience in furthering your learning to play in a worship band?

One of the most valuable lesson which I have learnt is how to go about looking for resources (music schools, CDs, books, people like you ) to learn from to improve.

If you and your bro-in-law are ok, and there is still time, I would gladly share my experience.

 

[Cheez]

Sure, I'll ask him if you can share for 5 minutes. Yes, all of them are quite young. The diploma holder is 15 years old. Another one is younger than her. Others are not so young. One I believe is in poly. The one who played during the practice session is a mother of 2 kids. Music director (also pianist) is older than me. 2 other keyboardists didn't turn up.

 

[Cheez]

Also, I like to train younger keyboardists. They are less set in their ways and more "malleable". I only wish I have more time with them. But alas, only 2x2hours. Enough only to demo...

 

[pf]

Yes...older ones are more set in their ways and less willing to explore.

Thank you. If there is anything that you think I can help, please feel free to let me know.